Our Green Plan

View our Green Plan for 2025-30

We have a climate crisis and the NHS and regional partners have a significant role in reducing its impact and to build a strong coalition to reach net zero carbon.

Achieving net zero will require a growing and ongoing focus across all of our planning and healthcare delivery activities to ensure that our decisions make a positive contribution.

These decisions will not be straightforward and some of them will cost more in the short term which will be difficult at a time that the NHS is being challenged to become more efficient and cost-effective.

However, we have to act and act now at an NHS, organisational and personal level to reduce our contribution to the emissions that are changing our climate and increasing the risk of harm to our citizens. Some of these actions will be easier to achieve than others, such as choosing how, when, and even if we need to travel, while others will be more complex, like planning which services need to be delivered in hospitals, which can be achieved digitally, and which need to be delivered closer to where people live, in more local settings.

Our ICB Green Plan sets out clear priority areas for action. Our role as the NHS is to provide care and services to the population, and as an ICB to coordinate and lead the development of these services as they modernise. In doing so we recognise the inherent challenges we have across Lancashire and South Cumbria with an ageing estate sometimes in poor condition, the distances staff and patients currently have to travel to provide or receive services, and the challenges we have with areas of rurality and fragmented transport service. Resolution of much of this will require a joined-up approach with partners and regional and national colleagues.

What is the Green Plan about?

This diagram highlights the sources of carbon emissions by proportion of the NHS Carbon footprint plus.

It shows where we need to focus our efforts. Consequently, our Green Plan is divided into ten areas of focus, each with clear goals and actions and these are detailed below.

Ensure everyone understands their role in targeting net zero carbon. Improve health and wellbeing of our population including NHS staff and patients. Reduce inequalities.

Achievements

Environmental sustainability is embedded within all ICB HR processes from recruitment and induction through to appraisals and training opportunities.
LSC Greener NHS website has resources for staff working across all health sectors, to support environmental sustainability.

Goal

ICB staff training: ensure 100% of new staff continue to be informed about the Green Plan during induction. By 2027, aim for 50% of all staff to complete the "Building a Net Zero NHS" e-learning or similar to ensure basic level knowledge. Continue promoting specialist training for leaders and staff groups across all health sectors to deepen understanding of climate impacts across departments.
Staff engagement campaigns: continue raising awareness and engage staff across all health sectors through newsletters, intranet updates, and case studies, using the resources within the “Healthier Planet, Healthier People” framework.
Sustainability champions: expand the green champions/ leads network across every site to act as advocates, support sustainability initiatives and share good practice across the system. Establish a forum that meets on-line a minimum of every quarter from March 2026.
Increase the current level of GP practices with carbon reduction/green plans or using the green impact for health toolkit from c20% to a minimum of 40% by the end of 2027.

A consequence of sustainable/low impact models of care is emission reduction through reduced patient journeys and bed days. Health inequalities can be reduced by streamlining care pathways and focusing on preventative care.

Achievements

Primary care clinical lead for environmental sustainability has delivered workshops to over 100 GPs in training. A number of attendees have opted to deliver projects within practices that focus on sustainability.

Our Goal

ICB’s clinical strategy (currently under development) to include environmental sustainability by 2026.
Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA): extend the use of an SIA across all Trusts by December 2026 to ensure environmental sustainability is considered when redesigning care pathways. ICB Net Zero Board to have oversight of SIAs underway via a dashboard created in VERTO (project management software) and will review a minimum of two SIAs each year to provide more specific feedback.
Clinical pathway redesign: embed carbon reduction considerations into the redesign of at least two key clinical pathways per annum by 2026, with expected carbon savings measured and reported.
Collaborate with VCFSE, councils and/or universities on one project a year that will result in improved health outcomes and reduce inequalities, considering the four principles of sustainable clinical practice.

Use technology to collate data and process information to reduce travel and paper, while also improving decision making processes. Build on the digital transformation that occurred during the pandemic.

Achievements

The ICB's digital strategy issued in 2024, includes progress towards Net Zero: becoming responsible digital citizens as one of it's key objectives.

Goal

Support the reduction of paper-based processes across primary care through increased use of shared care record and system integration.
Support general practice in increased uptake and use of the NHS App.
Continue to work with IT providers to ensure low carbon approaches are prioritised in current and future designed support models.
Continue to work with procurement specialists to ensure low/net zero supply chains are prioritised in all digital procurements.

Staff and patient travel contribute to air pollution which accounts for 1:20 deaths in the UK and disproportionately affects our population living in poverty.

Achievements

BetterPoints Lancashire, adopted in January 2025, is an app based technology that encourages and monitors behaviour change through supporting and rewarding sustainable travel choice.
Council funding has enabled GP practices to use e-bikes for pactice visits and improved facilities for staff and patients wanting to cycle.

Our Goal

Electric Vehicle (EV) charging: support Trusts to ensure sufficient EV charging points are installed at healthcare facilities to meet our ambulance and wider fleet needs before 2027.
Continue to collaborate with councils to improve sustainable travel access to healthcare sites across LSC, reducing travel related emissions. Consider implementing initiatives identified within the Action for Clean Air | ICS Framework.
Publish a sustainable travel plan by December 2026 that aligns with NHSE guidance (available 2025).
All vehicles offered through the ICB’s NHS vehicle salary sacrifice will be zero emission from 2026.
Ensure all vehicles purchased or leased are zero emission from December 2027.

A wide range of interventions need to be rolled out over the next 5 to 10 years to support net zero carbon involving waste reduction, energy efficiency, expansion of green space and sustainable capital projects.

Achievements

Sustainability is embedded in the ICB's infrastructure strategy 2023-2040 and this will ensure any larger capital schemes across Lancashire and South Cumbria will be Net Zero. Planning is underway to assess the work and associated costs bringing our hospital estate up to Net Zero standards.
A three year space utilisation programme, initiated in 2024, aims to achieve an average 85% utilisation for all buildings across Lancashire and South Cumbria by October 2027. Governance established to ensure a joined up approach and baselining of current utilisation.
Trusts across the region have accessed national funding in 2024/25, including £13m from the NHS National Energy Efficiency Fund (NEEF) for LED lighting and solar panels. This will lead to significant ongoing energy savings.
WARP-IT, a digital furniture and equipment redistribution software, available across all Trusts, has reduced waste that goes to landfill by around 83 tonnes and spend on new items by c£653k. This is estimated to have reduced carbon emissions by 283tCO2.

Our Goal

Plan that all new building developments and refurbishments will be net-zero, aligning with the ICB’s Infrastructure Strategy 2024-2040.
Trusts to develop Heat Decarbonisation Plans for all in scope hospital buildings by 2026 to enable national funding applications. The role of the ICB will be to maintain high level oversight of 17 the consistency, development and delivery of these plans, benchmark, identify risk, and ensure alignment with Local Area Energy Planning and heat networks.
Monitor and measure environmental performance towards the Net Zero 2040 target using the Greener NHS National Dashboard, tracking key metrics such as energy consumption, waste generation, and water usage. Include within the ICB’s Annual Report.
Space utilisation programme – to achieve an average 85% utilisation for all buildings whilst remaining within the existing financial envelope.
The ICB will work with property owners to decarbonise primary care healthcare facilities:
- Develop our understanding of energy and water consumption within GP practices and put in place steps for it to be reduced by the end of 2026. Continue to identify and promote national and regional opportunities such as the boiler upgrade scheme.
- Support practices to comply with the requirements within the Simpler Recycling policy (DEFRA). GP practices will dispose of a minimum of 60% of clinical waste as offensive waste (tiger bags) by 2026 and 70% by January 2028.

Reduce the use of certain types of anaesthetic gases and inhalers that give off greenhouse gases 1000s of times worse for the environment than CO2

Achievements

High-quality, lower-carbon respiratory care supports patients to improve their lung health while reducing inhaler emissions. High carbon inhalers have reduced by 34% compared with the 2019/20 baseline.
The use of desflurane, an anaesthetic gas with high global warming potential, has been eliminated, while nitrous oxide use had reduced by more than 43% compared with the 2019/20 baseline.

Our Goal

Inhaler emissions reduction: support the delivery of the annual national/ regional Greener NHS’ programme targets. For 25/26: A reduction in carbon emissions related to inhalers in LSC by 6-7% compared with the 23/24 baseline.
Anaesthetic gas emissions: support the delivery of the annual national Greener NHS’ programme targets. 25/26 targets to be agreed.
Medicines optimisation: implement two medicines optimisation initiatives to reduce waste and emissions each year, incorporating environmental alongside financial considerations into prescribing practices.

Actions within this area will ensure providers have focus on sustainability from the initial procurement through to contract monitoring.

Achievements

The ICB procurement and contracting policy was published in January 2025 and includes a chapter on social value and net zero. This will ensure our procurment processes are in line with the NHS Net Zero supplier roadmap.

Our Goal

Establish a robust contract management and evaluation process within the ICB for providers (by January 2026) and suppliers (by January 2028) that evidence commitment to net zero requirements proportionate to contract value.
Support Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS procurement teams continued compliance with the requirements within the NHS net zero supplier roadmap . Agree a set of KPIs by December 2025.
Encourage supplier engagement with the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment. Include within the new supplier procurements by December 2026.
Identify and share two projects a year from across the system that support the principles of the Circular economy. Measure carbon and financial savings as well as other benefits and share learning.

Promote healthier and sustainable food for staff and patients. Reduce emissions by sourcing food locally increasing the positive economic impact for our communities.

Achievements

The ICB promotes lower carbon food and waste reduction initiatives with our staff and the public.

Our Goal

By 2026: Produce a LSC dashboard against the National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink, Section 4: Improving sustainable procurement and reducing food waste. Obtain a baseline position and commitment to a forward plan from each Trust.
By 2026: provide support to ensure menus within hospitals for patients, visitors and staff include a minimum of 25% that are low carbon ‘hero’ dishes (as defined by Nutritics Foodprint).
By 2030: support the installation of electronic meal ordering system(s) for patient meals across all hospital sites within Lancashire and South Cumbria to reduce food waste.

Adaptation plans will ensure our estate is able to cope with the impacts of climate change while ensuring it conserves or enhances biodiversity.

Achievements

Introducing adaptation plans will ensure our healthcare facilities can withstand the impacts of climate change such as floods and heatwaves into the future.

Our Goal

Emergency preparedness: work with the EPRR team within the ICB to ensure climate risks are incorporated into emergency response plans by December 2025. Ensure compliance with the NHS core standards for EPRR and the NHS standard contract to support business continuity during adverse weather events.
ICB climate adaptation plan: work with stakeholders across Lancashire and South Cumbria to develop a comprehensive, long term climate adaptation plan by July 2026 ensuring that healthcare services are prepared for the risks posed by climate change by 2030.
Support all Trusts to develop climate adaptation plans by 2026.

Access to green and blue spaces within healthcare settings is crucial for the physical and mental health of both staff and patients. In addition to providing recreational areas these spaces also reduce air pollution, regulate urban temperatures and water flows, and are critical for reducing the risks associated with climate change. Green social prescribing can improve health and reduce carbon emissions as it often lessens the need for pharmaceutical treatments and promotes physical activities.

Our Goal:

Green space development: support Trusts to increase high quality green spaces on five healthcare sites by 2027, enhancing biodiversity and providing outdoor spaces for staff and patient wellbeing.
Tree planting initiative: plant an additional 1000 trees across healthcare sites by 2027.
Support five projects across primary care healthcare sites that will lead to biodiversity net gain by 2030.
Implement five projects that support green social prescribing by 2030.